Double Dares and Hopeful Hearts
by Kitian
Summary: Quistis, a juvenile delinquent? The gang tries to find Quistis' wild side by daring her to pull a prank on Seifer. What happens when not everything goes as planned, and worse, what if Seifer finds out?
1. I Dare You

Double Dares and Hopeful Hearts  
  
by Kitian  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters being used are owned by me because I am not Squaresoft, just a broke RPG fan with lots of spare time to write. Rats.  
  
Key: = character's internal thoughts  
  
Hit snooze button three times. Get up when the fourth alarm sounds. Turn on water in shower, wait for it to heat up. Undress, step into shower when water is luke-warm. Towel dry hair. Wash face, brush teeth, comb hair. Get dressed, skirt first, shirt next, boots last. Apply small amount of blush and lipstick. Prepare mentally for today's classes.  
  
Every morning was a practiced routine for Quistis Trepe. There was rhythm, it was logical, and it helped her to get out of bed and get ready, especially on cold mornings when getting up was the last thing she wanted to do. She'd done it so many times it had become part of her natural reflex without her having to think about what comes next.  
  
This particular summer morning was no exception to Quistis' well-rehearsed routine, and as she was putting the finishing touches on her make-up, she silently deliberated whether or not to give her SeeD students a pop-quiz on how to junction GFs.  
  
Well we'll just have to see how the lesson on casting spells goes, she thought to herself. If they pay attention and don't screw around, I think I'll be nice and let them off the hook this once.  
  
She closed the tube of ruby red lipstick with a satisfying click and dusted off her smartly pressed SeeD uniform. Her red tie was perfectly in place and not a single strand of lustrous blonde hair strayed from her usual hairstyle, pinned neatly up high on her head. Ready to take on whatever trials that day had to offer.  
  
Taking one final glance at her reflection in the mirror, she flashed it a quick smile to check for lipstick on her teeth and turned to grip the knob on the door to her dorm room. Here we go....  
  
Quistis stepped out into the hall, still thinking about GFs and pop quizzes as she walked down the relatively empty hallway to her classroom.  
  
************  
  
"Ahhhh......" Quistis let out a sigh of relief and reached her arms above her head, stretching so that her back arched into the air and her head leaned over the back of her chair.   
  
She had just finished grading the last of the quizzes from her morning class, and scribbling little notes in a red pen that kept running out of ink while hunched over thirty or so sloppily hand-written papers was hell on her posture.  
  
I wish they'd just pay attention in class more often, instead of daydreaming about hot dogs or whatever it is they think about. It would do wonders for their grades, and it would certainly cut down on my workload, she thought ruefully.  
  
Just the thought of hot dogs reminded Quistis of food, which made her stomach growl, a signal that it was time to break for lunch. Shoving some of the quizzes with notably lower grades into the bottom drawer of her desk, mentally listing the students she'd have to have a "talk" with, Quistis quickly locked up her classroom and headed for the cafeteria.  
  
I hope they're serving something other than hot dogs today.....  
  
************  
  
"Quisty!!! Get your butt over here quick before Zell takes the last seat and we're stuck with Chipmunk scarfin' dogs in our faces!" Irvine called out to her from across the cafeteria, waving emphatically to where there was a single empty seat between him and Rinoa. Quistis smiled a little at Irvine's new nickname for Zell, which he'd come up with when Zell almost choked to death stuffing food into his mouth at the celebratory SeeD dance last year, his crammed cheeks making him look very much like a chipmunk. Zell grumbled from the hot dog line at the other end of the cafeteria, where he could clearly hear Irvine's remark.  
  
Selphie was enthusiastically describing her decoration ideas for the upcoming SeeD Ball, practically bouncing in her seat with her excitement when Quistis reached the table. As Quistis took the empty seat, tray in hand, Selphie acknowledged her with a small bob of the head then continued her raving about centerpieces. Rinoa flashed Quistis a friendly smile, not wanting to interrupt the enthused Selphie with a greeting. Squall sat silently next to Rinoa, looking at nothing in particular and picking at his food. Irvine intently watched Selphie chatting away, chin propped on one hand as he listened with feigned interest.  
  
"....and we'll have wreathes of flowers around the candles, poppies or perennials, I haven't decided yet. And oh! Every centerpiece is going to have a glass encasement and little yellow candles inside because everything is going to be yellow, of course! I just love yellow, don't you, Irvy? And I know you like yellow too, Rinoa, because at last year's dance you--"  
  
"Hey now! What's the big idea, not leavin' me a seat? Squall, wouldya mind scooting over a bit? Some people gotta have a place to sit and eat, ya know." Zell shot Irvine a glare before pulling up a chair to squeeze in between Selphie and Squall. Irvine only chuckled, knowing that Zell hadn't taken him seriously.  
  
As Quistis started eating her salad, Rinoa leaned over to her and talked quietly so as not to distract Selphie. "Hey Quistis, where were you last night? We had so much fun at the club; even Squall lightened up and had a good time. You never gave us a straight answer about why you couldn't go....you always seem so busy."  
  
"Oh that....I've been really behind in grading papers and I thought I'd catch up, plus I had to prepare for a pop quiz for today. You know, just teacher stuff, no big deal. I'm glad you had a good time though."  
  
Rinoa frowned slightly, a look of concern crossing her face. "Quistis, that's the third time in the past month you've turned down going out with us to grade papers. Don't you think you should take a break every once in a while and just have some fun? Go to a club, see a movie sometime, go on a date, do something other than work!"  
  
Quistis was about to respond in her defense, but before she could open her mouth to speak, Zell swallowed a mouthful of food and interrupted her.  
  
"Hey, what's this about going on a date? What, Quisty, got some hot fling you're hiding from us and don't wanna talk about? Hmm? C'mon we're all family here, speak up!"  
  
"No," Rinoa explained, "I was just telling Quistis that she never has fun with us anymore. All she does is grade papers and I'm worried that she forgets we're still young and we're supposed to have fun, not work all the time."  
  
Quistis blushed. "Hey, now, I still have fun, I just--"  
  
"Yeah! You're totally right. Quisty, you really need to get out there and PAR-TAY every once in a while, let down your hair and just have some good clean fun, y'know? You know what they say, all work and no play makes Quisty a dull SeeD Instructor."  
  
Now Selphie and Irvine had stopped talking and turned to listen to what Zell was saying. Quistis thought even Squall was showing some interest, and she was starting to get really uncomfortable.  
  
"Zell, that's sooo right! All work is totally not good for the body. Quisty you've been such a fuddy-duddy lately! I wish you'd stop sitting in that boring classroom all the time and hang with us more often. We never see you anymore!"  
  
"Wha--....Fuddy-duddy? Hey now, it's not that--"  
  
"It's all right, Selph. Quistis just needs to learn how to loosen up, that's all. She's gotten so good at being a brown-noser and a bookworm that she just kinda forgot what it's like to be a regular teenager. Isn't that right, Quisty?"  
  
Quistis knew that Irvine was only joking, trying to tease her about her studious habits, but this just wasn't fair how they all were ganging up on her! How did this get started? She knew that what they were saying was actually right on the spot, and she really did wish she could loosen up a little, but it was hard to. She had responsibilities! She was an instructor and she wanted to do a good job. She hated blowing them off for work; she wanted to be spontaneous and crazy and wild more than anything, to let go and have fun like the teenager she was, but it was hard to with all the duties she had to fulfill.  
  
"Look, I know what you're saying, but it's not that easy to just have fun! I'm not like you guys, I can't just be spontaneous and go wild at a moments notice. I like being an instructor, and if I don't keep doing a good job, I won't be able to stay one."  
  
"Aw c'mon, I know you like instructin' and all, but sure you can still have a crazy moment now n' then. You don't have to be perfect all the time, even if you are an instructor. As long as I've known you, I don't think I've ever seen you break a single rule or anythin'!"  
  
"You know, I think Zell's right. Have you ever done something you weren't supposed to?" Rinoa raised an eyebrow at Quistis, who could only stutter in indignation. What, now I'm supposed to break rules all over the place in order to have fun?  
  
"Well just because I'm not some kind of rebel doesn't mean I don't know how to have a good time. Besides, I've broken lots of rules before...." Quistis knew that was a lie; she couldn't ever remember breaking any rules, any major ones anyways, but she wasn't about to admit that right now.  
  
"I don't believe you! Quisty you're lying!" Selphie piped up, pointing a finger directly into Quistis' face and giggling like a madman.  
  
"I am not! I am entirely capable of doing something bad." She tried not to let her voice falter, but the others could only be amused at her attempts to cover up the fact that she really had no experience in breaking rules of any kind.  
  
"Quistis, the rebel. Heh, that's something I'd pay to see...." Irvine laughed, a look that Quistis thought was decidedly suspicious starting to creep onto his face. "You know....there is a way that you could prove to us that you aren't just a bookworm....."  
  
A heavy feeling started to settle in Quistis' stomach. This did not sound too good....  
  
"Like what....?"  
  
"I dunno. Do something bad. Like something that only a 'rebel' would do."  
  
The feeling in Quistis' stomach grew worse.  
  
"Hey Irvine, that's actually not a bad idea! But....what could make Quistis a rebel, of all people? It'd have to be something that a teacher would never ever do....something a punk kid like Seifer would do....stupid Seifer....always pulling pranks on other people and breaking rules and getting away with it just cuz he's on the disciplinary committee and he thinks he's all tough shit....." Zell grumbled as he started complaining to himself about all of Seifer's bad faults.  
  
Irvine sat up suddenly, an evil grin plastered on his features. "I've got it! Selphie, this SeeD Ball that's going on next week, everyone who made SeeD is required to go, right? " Selphie nodded emphatically. "Good. Quistis, this is perfect. You get to prove to us you're really a rebel on the inside, and we get to give out a little payback to Garden's most infamous bully. Here's the plan: while everyone is at the SeeD Ball next week, I want you to sneak into Seifer's room and wreck it. Completely trash the place; graffiti, toilet paper, shaving cream, the works. Seifer just passed the field exam a couple days ago, so he has no choice but to be at the dance, so he'll be out of your way and you won't have to worry about him for a good couple hours. Oh this is going to be so good." Irvine looked incredibly satisfied with himself, smugly crossing his arms.  
  
Zell's face brightened immediately at the prospect of Seifer getting any form of retribution, and he practically fell out of his seat with an excited yell. "YEAH! Man, Seifer's going to be SO PISSED when he finds out his room's been trashed! I can't WAIT to see the look on his face, the jerk! This'll be for all those times he called me chicken-wuss and made fun of my hair!"  
  
"Booyaka! That sounds like sooo much fun! And that meanie Seifer is totally gonna get his, being such a bully to Zell and little kids and all that. He deserves it all the way! Quisty, I totally think you should do it."  
  
As horrified as Quistis was at doing something as immature as TP-ing someone's room, in some way it was kind of appealing....She had never pulled a prank on someone before, and Seifer had been acting up in class a lot, up until he passed the field exam and transferred out, anyway. It would be fun to do something spontaneous and get her friends to stop bugging her about being a "fuddy-duddy" as Selphie so eloquently put it.....Wait, what am I thinking?? Quistis slapped herself mentally. This is crazy! I shouldn't trash someone's room just because Irvine thinks I should. I don't need to prove anything, and besides, Seifer would *kill* me if he found out! What if Cid found out?? Oh god I'd be in so much trouble.....  
  
"Wait a minute, why are you guys talking about this like I've already agreed to do it? I never said I was, and I'm not going to."   
  
"Really? You're not going to do it? But I thought you said you were entirely capable of doing something bad...." Rinoa goaded Quistis on, fully knowing that she was using her own words against her. Inwardly she was smiling, amused at the thought of Quistis running around Seifer's room with a can of shaving cream in one hand and a toilet paper roll in the other.  
  
Rinoa too? What's up with everyone? Surely Squall will defend me....he's the Commander of Garden, he couldn't possibly commend this type of behavior! Yes, Squall will definitely put an end to this....  
  
Quistis turned to Squall with a pleading look on her face. "Squall, you must have something to say about all this...." Her eyes begged him to help her out of her situation.  
  
Up until now Squall had chosen to remain silent, but now he straightened up in his seat and placed his elbows on the table, a thoughtful look coming over his face. Everyone grew quiet, looking at him with anticipation of what the commander of Balamb Garden was about to say. All except Quistis were a little disappointed that Squall had decided to intervene; they were having fun teasing and tormenting Quistis. Oh well, it had been fun while it lasted.  
  
"Hmmm. Actually....I'm a little bit curious as to whether or not Quistis would be able to pull it off. We could always clean it up afterwards, and I'd make sure she wouldn't get in trouble. I don't have a problem with it. I think she should do it."  
  
Quistis' jaw would have hit the floor if she wasn't frozen in horror. Squall, you too?? He was my last defense......I can't believe he's going along with this....  
  
"WAHOOO!! Now we even have the Commander's personal permission to wreak havoc on Seifer! Now no one can stop us!! Finally it's payback time, Seifer! Quisty you're gonna make me so proud!!!"  
  
"Squall, you're the coolest! I never thought you'd agree....this is just so.....so booyaka! I'm psyched!! I'm gonna make next weeks' dance so TOTALLY awesome now, just you guys wait and see!"  
  
Irvine chuckled and leaned back in his chair. He certainly hadn't seen that coming. He was sure that Squall was going to say something in Quistis' defense; he was getting all prepared to be disappointed because he hadn't even expected anyone to go along with his idea in the first place. He was extremely entertained by the whole situation, especially by the fact that Squall had given his blessing to their little dare for Quistis. Things were going well.  
  
Oh Hyne.....things could not get any worse than this. Quistis buried her head in her hands. I can't believe that they're making me do this......  
  
"It's all right." Rinoa patted her friend's back reassuringly. "If worst comes to worst.....the rest of us will be able to have a good laugh." The whole table laughed good-naturedly at Quistis' response to Rinoa's encouragement, which was to groan loudly and shake her head.  
  
"To next week!" Irvine, Selphie, Rinoa, Zell, and even Squall chimed in as they toasted at the hilarious thought of Quistis finally dishing out a little bit of what Seifer gave out back to him.  
  
Oh Hyne.....I just know I'm going to regret this......  
  
Author's Notes: Well there's chapter one of Double Dares and Hoping Hearts! Like it? I was determined to do something lighthearted after doing Eternity Spent, which got me all depressed. How was it? Let me know through R hope to hear from you! 


	2. Hectic Night

Double Dares and Hoping Hearts: Chapter 2  
  
by Kitian  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters being used are owned by me because I am not Squaresoft, just a broke RPG fan with lots of spare time to write. Rats.  
  
Key: = Character's internal thoughts  
  
  
  
  
  
Toilet paper? Check.  
  
  
  
Spray paint? Check.  
  
  
  
Shaving cream? Check.  
  
  
  
Dignity and sense of self-respect? .....I"ll have to get back to that one.  
  
  
  
It was Friday night, a night of celebration and festivity for many of the students attending Balamb Garden, but not for a certain fair-headed SeeD Instructor who found herself staring down the blank white surface of a dormitory room door.  
  
Just what the hell am I doing here? This is crazy. Remind me again just how exactly I got myself into this fine, fine mess?  
  
She felt rather stupid really. She was outfitted in loose-fitting jeans and an old Balamb Garden T-shirt she had gotten years ago, wearing shabby clothes on purpose just in case she made a mess of herself. On top of that, everyone she knew was at what could arguably be the most fabulous party in all of Balamb Garden's history, and here she was, standing face to face with.....a door. Just staring at it, breathing in and out as her stomach churned and flopped in circles like a circus seal doing tricks. Not her ideal Friday night.  
  
Now that I think about it, Garden has some really ugly dormitory doors.....Next time I see Cid, maybe I'll talk to him about changing the designs for the--ahhh focus Quistis, FOCUS. Yes this is probably the stupidest thing you'll ever do in your life, but you're going to get through this. Just think of it as....as a SeeD mission. Yeah, that's right. Just like the exam, you remember.....focus....Ok. SeeD Cadet Trepe, your mission is to infiltrate enemy quarters and proceed to administer damage through toilet paper and shaving cream applied to....Aw hell just who am I kidding? I don't know what I'm doing here. This is stupid.  
  
Quistis was about to turn away from the ominous door and forget the whole plan, just walk away and show up at the SeeD Ball instead, screw what the others would say, but she quickly curbed herself.  
  
No, you have to do this for yourself, too! So the others don't think I can do it, huh? I CAN. I, Quistis Trepe, have mastered the art of battle, become a trained SeeD Instructor at the age of fifteen, traveled across vast lands filled with dangerous monsters, and helped to destroy an evil sorceress threatening the balance of life as we know it. Vandalizing a single room should be no problem. I have no intention of backing down now. They'll take back every word they said. I'll show them.  
  
Her jaw set firm in determination, Quistis decisively slid her Instructor's key card, which conveniently opened all doors except for highly secretive ones, through the ID slot. With a quiet *blip* the card registered and the mechanical door soundlessly glided open in front of her, revealing nothing but pitch black. With a sharp intake of breath, Quistis gathered all her courage and resolutely stepped forward into the dark room.  
  
"Where's the damn light...." she muttered under her breath, her hand fumbling wildly around the wall next to her, searching for a switch of any kind.  
  
Aha! With a small flick of her wrist, pale light flooded the room and Quistis was surprised by what met her eyes. She had always figured Seifer would be a slob; in class, he was always slouching, uniformly late, exceedingly lazy, and his papers were regularly wrinkled and creased, constantly turned in with sloppy penmanship and little doodles in the margins.   
  
The room that awaited her was picture perfect; not a single speck of dirt could be seen anywhere. There were no clothes tossed carelessly across the floor, no books or papers of any kind scattered on the desk. There was very little furniture or furnishing present of any kind, apart from the basic standard that every SeeD was given: a single bed, a desk, a dresser, and a bookshelf. The whole room had a very modernistic, very clean feel to it, the bed sheets were slate gray and the walls a bare, stark white.  
  
There were several picture-frames on the bookshelf; Quistis recognized one of the posse at what looked to be a fishing dock; another of a scowling Seifer at an age she guessed to be around fourteen, looking very scruffy in a plain white T-shirt four sizes too big for him and torn jeans criss-crossed with grass stains; and a small one of a very attractive woman with shoulder-length dark hair that she didn't recognize.  
  
Hmmm....wonder who she is. Never seen her before. Pretty. What's Seifer doing with her picture, I wonder? None of my business I suppose.....  
  
In the far right corner of the room, she had no trouble spotting the impeccably polished case of Hyperion, the deadly blade encased safely within it. She distinguished the sleek shape of a fierce crimson cross marking the front of the case, and she discerned it to be the one imprinted on the sleeve of his trenchcoat. Overall, he appeared to be quite neat. What a surprise.  
  
Crouching in the middle of the room, Quistis heaved the sack she had been carrying over her shoulder onto the floor, unloading it item by item as if she were Santa Claus distributing Christmas gifts for all the good little boys and girls. The sack's contents included all the customary provisions: toilet paper, shaving cream, red spray paint, and various other....mischief-making tools that Zell and Irvine had loaded her down with.   
  
Okay....where to start, where to start.....  
  
Deciding that the toilet paper seemed a good choice to start with, she grabbed two full rolls and walked over to the desk.  
  
Here goes nothing.....  
  
  
  
************  
  
  
  
"Irviiiiiine....come dance with me!!" Selphie snuck up behind Irvine, her slender arms slithering across his chest to wrap him in a firm embrace from behind. She giggled excitedly into his ear and nuzzled him coquettishly in the crook of his neck. Irvine's irresistible smirk widened, and he stood up from his chair to comply with Selphie's request.   
  
Beaming with happiness, Selphie led him out onto the dancefloor and immediately pulled him to her in a snug dance position, her arms encircling his neck and both his hands placed gently on the top of her hips. One of her favorite slow songs was playing, and Selphie reveled in the moment as she and Irvine swayed leisurely to the beat, her head resting lightly on his broad chest.   
  
I can hear his heart beat....it's so relaxing....  
  
She admired the glittering chandeliers above them, the streamers and garlands of pale yellow flowers lining the room, and the crowds of formally dressed students dancing to the ballroom music and engaging in animated conversation. The dance had turned out just as she had planned it, and she couldn't have been happier at this very moment.   
  
So perfect....  
  
"Irvine..." she sighed contentedly, "everything turned out great, didn't it?"  
  
"Yeah babe. Everything's wonderful. You did a really good job puttin' all this together. When you pour all your energy into something, I get so impressed by the results."  
  
"Really? You mean that?" Selphie lifted her head to look up at him, a delighted look lighting her chestnut eyes.  
  
"Really. You amaze me sometimes." He looked down at her earnestly, and Selphie grinned with sheer ecstasy, blushing with the compliment.   
  
"Aw shucks Irvy, it's nothing. The second I joined the Garden Festival Committee, I knew I was going to make it something totally awesome. I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. Besides," she added, a devilish grin stealing its way onto her petite features as she scrunched up her nose in the cute way that made Irvine melt inside, "I had to make it extra special so that Seifer wouldn't find a reason to leave early...."  
  
Irvine returned her smile and squeezed her to him more tightly.  
  
"Mhmmmm.....speaking of, Quistis should be in Seifer's room by now. Do you think she'll run into any trouble?"  
  
"Why would she? Everyone's here, Irvy. She'll be fine. You have to admit, it was the perfect plan, asking her to do this the night of the SeeD Ball. I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve...."  
  
"Yeah, me neither...." Irvine glanced thoughtfully over to where he could see Seifer sulking in the corner between Raijin and Fuujin, obviously unhappy to be here and even less happy to be wearing the conventional dark blue SeeD uniform. He wasn't going anywhere for a while.  
  
His gaze trailed across the room and over to where Zell was leaning against a wall, trying his best to put 'the moves' on some girl with pigtails. Irvine couldn't imagine how Zell could possibly smoothtalk a girl, but apparently his quirky charm was working because the girl was giggling and blushing, obviously entranced by his charisma. Hmm, maybe Zell really was more of a ladies' man than he let on. Or maybe that particular girl just had strange taste.  
  
His eyes wandered again to rest on Squall and Rinoa, who were sitting at a rather reclusively located table. Rinoa was snuggled comfortably against Squall and whispering little sweet nothings into his ear. Squall passively watched the ballroom dancers, one arm wrapped around Rinoa's tiny waist and the other gently enclosing her hand in his on his kneecap. Every once in a while, Squall would return the whispered declarations of affection and he and Rinoa would share a moment of tenderness before Squall pulled away to watch the dancers again, not wanting his romance to become too public. Still, the way he lovingly looked at Rinoa when he thought no one was watching didn't escape Irvine. They could be such a sweet couple when they wanted to be....  
  
Finally he brought his gaze back to the mahogany haired sprite before him, and he decided to devote the rest of the night to enjoying himself with her. This was her night of glory, after all. Still, even as he looked deep into the eyes of the girl he loved, he couldn't help thinking......  
  
"I wonder how Quistis is doing?"  
  
  
  
*************  
  
  
  
"What the FUCK is wrong with this stupid friggin' toilet paper??"  
  
Quistis was on the verge of throwing the roll of toilet paper across the room in sheer frustration. She had spent the past ten minutes trying to get the damned thing to unroll correctly, a seemingly simple task, but toilet paper was always more complicated than it first appeared.  
  
It being a brand new roll, Quistis had tried to find the end of the paper where it was stuck with a thin layer of glue to keep it from unraveling in the packaging. Once she'd finally accomplished that, she tried to pull the paper loose only to end up ripping a long length of toilet paper neatly into half while the other half stayed stuck at the end to the roll.  
  
"Shoot...."  
  
She'd tried again, only to end up tearing it into even thinner halves.  
  
"Dammit this stuff is worse than duct tape! It just keeps tearing...."  
  
When she'd finally started to get it to unravel without being torn straight down the middle,she had started to pull at it harder in her frustration and the toilet paper kept coming off in neat little square sections at the perforated lines, hardly fit to toilet paper an entire room.  
  
"Gosh freakin' DARNED it!" Stupid Balamb Brand. Quistis would never understand toilet paper manufacturers. Who gave a flying crap about softness and snuggliness when the dratted thing kept falling apart in your hands?  
  
Finally, finally having gotten the toilet paper to unwind into sections longer than a foot, she set about to weaving it all around furniture and lamps around the room, making sure not to get it too tangled lest the stupid thing decided to rip again.  
  
Once she was satisfied with her TP-ing job, Quistis returned to her pile of supplies in the middle of the room and grabbed the can of red spray paint. Shaking it emphatically, she quickly uncapped it and turned to where Seifer's bed was behind her.  
  
This looks like a good place to do it. The sheets should wash off, and even if they don't, we can always replace them....  
  
She leaned over the drab colored sheets and pointed the spray can directly at the covers, pressing down on the tab with her index finger.....only to have nothing come out.  
  
Huh. I'm pretty sure this is a new can.... She shook it again, more fiercely this time, and pressed down again. Nothing.  
  
Confused, she looked down at the directions on the back of the metal cylinder, reading with a perplexed look on her face.  
  
All I have to do is shake and spray, right? That's what it says to do here.....That's so weird. I swear Irvine said he bought a brand new can just yesterday!   
  
Shaking it one last time, she decided to aim the can at her hand, just to see if she could feel any air coming out or if something was blocking the hole that the paint was coming out of.  
  
At first she felt nothing, so she pressed down harder and before she knew it an explosive spray of glossy wet red paint showered over her hands.  
  
"Ackk! Oh what a mess...." Her hands glistened with vermilion paint, and Quistis felt totally disgusted with herself. Well *that* was a smart move....Now if someone walks in on me, I'll be caught red-handed....literally....  
  
Sighing in frustration, Quistis turned back to the bedsheets to complete the task at hand.  
  
At least I got it to work....  
  
Taking a moment to reflect on what she should write, Quistis decided on what she thought was an appropriate insult that would be sure to strike a nerve with Seifer and aimed the spray paint.  
  
"Zell, this one's for you...."  
  
  
  
************  
  
  
  
"Man, this party is so stupid....I can't imagine how people can enjoy something so incredibly boring. The only reason I'm here is because if I didn't come I couldn't graduate. Who came up with that retarded rule anyways?"  
  
"DANCE STUPID. AGREE."  
  
"I mean honestly, look at those people out there! They've just become elite mercenaries in a combat force known worldwide for its warfare capabilities, and they're dancing the night away like ninnies! If I were Commander of Garden, instead of Puberty-boy over there, we'd celebrate by going out and fighting T-Rexaurs or having a full out Deathmatch or something fuckin' *worthwhile*....anything but dancing...."  
  
"AGREE. DEATHMATCH PERTINENT. DANCING....NOT."  
  
"And come on! These SeeD outfits....they even make *me* look bad. I hate wearing this kind of shit. Leave it up to SeeD to come up with a get-up that's uncomfortable AND ugly as hell. I wish I had my trenchcoat....I feel so weird without it. They wouldn't even let me bring Hyperion! Can you believe those jerks?"  
  
"JERKS, AFFIRMATIVE."  
  
"Oh of course I agree wit' ya, y'know? I mean c'mon, these suits are so ITCHY, y'know? And I feel, like, a wedgie comin' on...."  
  
The green-eyed man and his silver-haired companion turned to give the third member of their trio a long, hard stare. One could almost see the thought running simultaneously through their heads: how did this guy ever become a part of their posse?  
  
Seifer, Fuujin, and Raijin had spent the entirety of the SeeD Ball standing sullenly in the most remote corner they could find, glowering at any party-goers who dared to come too close. Fuujin's face was as emotionless and passive as ever, her savage crimson eye darting here and there across the ballroom, as if wary of an imminent threat that could pop out at any given moment. Seifer had his arms crossed, and had spent the whole night so far sighing in exasperation, commenting on the absurdity of their being forced to be here, or maintaining a stony silence. Raijin shifted uneasily from foot to foot, constantly looking over to his two comrades, opening his mouth countless times as if to make some form of encouragement to join the carousing and then shutting it upon deciding it wiser to stay silent.  
  
As Seifer and Fuujin were making an uncomfortable Raijin fidget under their austere gaze, a figure dressed in a sleeker, all-black version of the SeeD uniform reserved for only its highest ranking members, stepped up onto the stage. When he walked up to the microphone and leaned forward to speak into it, the entire ballroom hushed and grew quiet. Eager faces turned expectantly up towards the stage, watching as the figure's set of unfaltering steel gray eyes swept over his audience, waiting for the opportune moment to speak.  
  
"Ugh....as if the night couldn't get any worse, Puberty-boy has to go and make a speech. Be still, my beating heart. I can't wait to hear what our Almighty Commander has to say...."  
  
"Good evening. As you all know, as Commander of Balamb Garden, it is my official duty to welcome all newly acquired members of SeeD. The hardships they have overcome and the skills they have mastered have allowed them to become a part of Balamb's most prized fighting force. I commend all of you for your hard work and perseverance in getting this far; only a select few are destined to become SeeDs. Congratulations."  
  
The room erupted into applause, enthusiastic whoops of delight, and hearty back-slapping.  
  
"Oh for Hyne's sake....I can't take anymore of this. Puberty-boy could go on all night, but I sure as hell ain't staying for it."  
  
Seifer uncrossed his arms and started stalking towards the large double doors leading out of the ballroom. Fuujin and Raijin both flanked him, intent on accompanying him out of there, but to their surprise he whirled around and stopped them dead in their tracks.   
  
"What are you guys doing?"  
  
"Following you of course, y'know?"  
  
Onstage, Squall cleared his throat and launched back into his speech about the prestige and honor of becoming a SeeD.  
  
"What for?"  
  
"ALWAYS FOLLOW. POSSE, REMEMBER?"  
  
"Not tonight, Fuuj. Remember, it's against the rules for new members to leave early; policy and all that shit. I don't care about getting caught, but if all of us leave, they'll definitely notice and we'll all be in trouble. Not that I care, but it's a pain in the ass to be on probation. Besides, if anyone asks, you guys can make up an excuse for me or something."  
  
"But Seifer....it ain't fair that you get to go and we gotta stay here, y'know? I mean, we always stick together, so..."  
  
"Yeah, well, not right now. I really don't feel like it. Besides, I thought I was your leader and I just told you to stay put? You don't want us all getting caught, do you?"  
  
"SEIFER...." Fuujin started, but he cast her a glance that let her know that he wasn't about to argue. Her jaw clenched in dissatisfaction, but she remained silent.  
  
Meanwhile, the crowd had started applauding and cheering like crazy again, Squall's speech apparently having a positive effect on them. Seifer spun around again and elbowed his way through the horde, his maneuvering going almost unnoticed in the swarming, roaring mass of students.  
  
Almost, but not quite.  
  
Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, and Irvine had been standing just offstage, watching as Squall delivered his speech to the excited assembly of SeeDs. Rinoa had been watching the most intensely, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar flash of blonde hair making its way to the back of the room.  
  
"Selphie....is that.....Seifer?" Rinoa whispered to the brown-haired girl beside her.  
  
"Where??" Rinoa pointed towards where Seifer was forcing a throng of students out of his way, eyes set determinedly on the exit door.  
  
"Ohmigosh no! He can't leave, not yet!" Selphie gasped.  
  
"What's going on? What's wrong?" Irvine leaned over to listen, curious what they were pointing at.  
  
"Seifer's leaving the ballroom! It's too early; Quistis can't possibly be done yet! I bet you my nunchakus she's still in there, and if he walks in on her...." Selphie left the rest to Irvine's imagination, and he didn't need any prodding.   
  
"Zell! Let's go! Seifer's on the move," Irvine murmured as he jabbed Zell and pulled him away from behind the stage.  
  
"What, what, what? I was just listening to Squall's speech! Why are you--hey--quit dragging me around like I'm some kind of--"  
  
"Pipe down, wouldya? We gotta go stop Seifer before he leaves and finds out what Quistis is doing to his room."  
  
"I--oh.....I see....well geez, why didn't you tell me sooner? We gotta keep him from going back there, man!" Irvine declined from telling Zell that he had told him, but continued to silently drag him towards the exit, where Seifer was progressively headed. Selphie stole one last look at Squall still on stage, and decided to bound after the two. Rinoa stayed behind, not wanting Squall to finish his speech and come back to find all his friends missing, but she watched vigilantly as Seifer came upon the doors that would take him away from the ballroom and back to his dorm room.  
  
I hope they get to him in time.....or else I'd really hate to be Quistis!  
  
  
  
************  
  
  
  
"Finally! Made it out of there alive....damned SeeDs....." Seifer breathed a sigh of relief, neglecting the fact that he was also a SeeD now himself. The empty hallway in front of him was a welcome sight, especially after having been thrust into the bustling horde of fervent students, all cheering and clapping and driving him crazy with their enthusiasm.   
  
Brainless sheep, all of them....  
  
He quietly made his way down the hall, hands thrust deep into his pockets as he sauntered away from the noise and commotion behind him.  
  
Peace and quiet. Never thought it could seem so nice. Garden is actually kinda cool when it's all dark and deserted like this....I wonder if it's like this at night when everyone's asleep. Maybe sometime I should come out here and--  
  
"Seiiiiiferrrr!!!" Selphie was the first to come running down the halls, gasping for air. Irvine was immediately behind her, followed by a breathless Zell.  
  
What the--?  
  
"Heyyyy there, Seifer, ol' buddy pal! Where are you goin' so fast? The ball isn't over yet, you know!"  
  
Seifer arched his brow in disdain, frowning at Selphie's all-too-friendly words.  
  
"Since when was I your buddy? And yes, I am perfectly aware of what's still going on in there. I just thought I'd....I dunno....take a walk. Too damned noisy in there."  
  
"A walk, huh? Well, umm, I don't think you wanna do that right now, do ya? Cuz yeah....ummm....the best part's still to come!!"  
  
The hell is wrong with this chick....she's so annoying.....  
  
"Best part? As far as I'm concerned, there's no good part so there can't be a best part. Why are you so interested in whether I stay or not anyway? It's none of your business what I do. Now let me go on my way." Seifer turned to continue passing down the hall, but Irvine intercepted him, blocking his way. When Seifer tried to push around him, Irvine firmly placed a hand on his shoulder to restrain him.  
  
The hell--???  
  
"I don't think you're going anywhere just yet, Seifer. I thought that all new SeeDs were required by policy to stay until the ball was over?"  
  
"Selphie, get your lame cowboy of a boyfriend to get his damned hand off of me before I cut it off for him-"  
  
"Yeah, too bad Hyperion's not here. I told you, you're not going anywhere. Rules say you stay, so you stay."  
  
"Yeah..." Zell cracked his knuckles from where he was standing behind Selphie.  
  
Shoot. I'll have to think quick to get out of this.....  
  
"Ohmygod look! I think Squall just broke up with Rinoa!" It was a long shot, but to Seifer's surprise, the trio withholding him diverted their attention for the merest fraction of a second, startled by the way Seifer had yelled out and pointed, which was all he needed to shove Irvine's hand away and sprint down the hall.  
  
"What the--hey, he's getting away!!" Irvine whirled around to see Seifer's racing form quickly disappear around a corner. The three of them ran after him, but as they rounded the corner, the saw it diverged into four different hallways, all leading into separate sections of the dormitories.  
  
"...Which way did he go?" Selphie stood there, puzzled at how Seifer could have slipped from their grasp. Worry started to settle on her face as she realized that Seifer was most likely going back to his dorm, and they all knew what, or more importantly who, was going to be there when he got back.....  
  
"Does anyone know where Seifer's room is?" Selphie asked nervously, although she knew that none of the three of them probably had any idea. She definitely didn't.  
  
"The hell? Do I *look* like I would know where Seifer's stinking room is?" Zell barked.  
  
"Well, there's four hallways and three of us, so the best we can do is split up and take three of the four. Odds are, one of us will have to run into him. If not....well I guess Quistis is on her own. Not much we can do about it...."   
  
"Irvine, you're such an ass! You're the one who got her into this dare thing in the first place, and now there's a possibility Seifer could walk in on her and you don't seem to really care! You know what kind of a temper he has....if he sees what she's doing.....dammit! How could we lose him??" Zell punched the nearest wall, venting his frustration on inanimate objects as usual.  
  
"Hey, you didn't seem to object when I came up with the idea! If I recall correctly, you were just bursting to get back at Seifer!" Irvine retorted hotly, upset that Zell was trying to pin all the blame on him.  
  
"Wha--well I'm not the one who keeps pushing Quistis to do things she doesn't want to do! If it weren't for your teasing her, she wouldn't always be--"  
  
"HEY!! Quit it you two! None of this even matters! Quistis is going to get in big trouble and it's everyone's fault, okay? Whatever chance we had of catching up with Seifer is probably blown because both of you insist on fighting over nothing. I'll take the hall farthest left, Irvine will take the middle left one, and Zell, you go down the middle right hall. We'll just have to hope for Quistis' sake that he didn't take the hall farthest to the right."  
  
Irvine and Zell were slightly taken aback by Selphie's outburst, and also a little embarrassed that she had had to stop them from quarreling like two elementary school kids. Irvine paused a moment to admire how assertive Selphie could be when she took charge, but after she turned to run down her designated hall he followed suit and went down his. It didn't take Zell long to realize that he was left standing alone, so he turned and hurried down the third hallway.  
  
  
  
Leaving one hallway unpursued......  
  
  
  
***********  
  
  
  
Jeez....what in Hyne's name was all that about? I swear, those little brown-nosers just can't help being a royal pain in the ass. Especially that Irvine guy.....what the hell was his problem? I just don't get them...  
  
Seifer strolled aimlessly down the hallways, which were dimly lit since it was already nighttime and the majority of Garden's residents were either still partying away or sleeping in their quarters. He liked it best when Garden's hallways were dark and deserted; too many people just bugged him. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was completely alone, and he was relieved to see nothing but a vast, empty stretch of hallway.  
  
I hope none of them followed me....Thank Hyne, I think they let up. That was so weird.....  
  
Suddenly Seifer's stomach growled, and he was rudely reminded of the fact that he hadn't had dinner yet, since the food had been served during the ball and he had spent the entire time sulking in the corner. Ruefully he rubbed his complaining stomach, wondering where he could get some grub this late at night.  
  
"I know! I think there's a vending machine somewhere near my room. I'll just grab a midnight snack then head straight to bed...." he said aloud, to no one in particular. Satisfied with his new plan, Seifer headed straight for his room.  
  
  
  
**********  
  
  
  
S.....E......I.....F.....E......R......  
  
  
  
Quistis watched as the sheets were streaked a bright cherry red, paint spurting in flowing streams that followed the movements of her deft hand.  
  
  
  
I.....S......  
  
  
  
She paused to shake the can, then pressed down again, feeling a strange sort of satisfaction as the dye seeped into Seifer's covers.  
  
  
  
A.....  
  
  
  
She took a step sideways, following the words she was writing.  
  
  
  
C.....H.....I.....C.....K....E.....N.....  
  
  
  
One more word, and she'd be done. She took another step to her right, crossing her left leg behind her right.  
  
  
  
W....U......  
  
  
  
Unfortunately, in crossing one leg behind the other, she had inadvertently caught her left foot on one of the sheets that had come loose under the covers and slid to the floor. Her foot slipped, and Quistis felt herself falling backwards, her arms flailing outwards and desperately grabbing at whatever they could find to hold onto, which was nothing but thin air. With a sharp yell and a loud crash she fell to the floor, landing hard in a flurried mess of sheets and flying spray paint.  
  
  
  
***********  
  
  
  
"Hmmmm......the pretzels look good.....but I don't eat carbs before sleeping. Same goes for all the desserts. Chips are too salty..... Candy? I hate candy. Ugh, this vending machine sucks..." Seifer was standing in front of the vending machine down the hall from his room, a look of serious contemplation clouding his features as he mulled over his pre-slumber snack.  
  
Tired of lounging in front of a vending machine doing nothing, Seifer dropped three quarters into the small metal slot in the machine's side and jabbed a couple random buttons. The vending machine clicked then whirred as the metal coil around a candy bar in a colorful aluminum wrapper slowly unwound. Seifer watched with almost-interest, until the coil stopped moving and the whirring stopped and the candy bar stayed where it was.  
  
"What the--" Seifer punched the clear plastic siding on the vending machine, rattling the entire mechanism with his strength. The candy bar remained fixed in its spot, hanging precariously over the edge, threatening to fall over but stubbornly remaining steadfast.   
  
"Move, dammit! Stupid piece of shit machine!" Seifer punched it again, this time hard enough so that the plastic almost fractured. The candy bar stayed where it was.  
  
Angry now, because this had become more of a test of will between the almighty Seifer Almasy and an immovable bar of chocolate, Seifer raised his arm as if to strike again, but he was stopped by a muffled sound that rocketed down the hallway and seemed to be in one of the rooms nearby.......  
  
  
  
***********  
  
  
  
"Owww.....that hurt..." Groaning, Quistis dropped the spray can she had been holding and rubbed her sore rear, cradling her head with her other hand. She sat there on the floor for a minute, still a little dazed from her sudden fall.  
  
I am such a clutz! I probably deserved that. Shoot, I hope nobody heard me fall....I better hurry up and finish before people start coming back from the dance.  
  
Hastily Quistis pushed herself up from the floor, only to realize a second later that that was a poor choice to make. All the blood rushed from her head due to her sudden movement and her dizziness came back in an abrupt throbbing surge. All she could see for a moment was static as her vision blurred from loss of blood. Staggering backwards, Quistis flopped onto the bed and leaned forward, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for the bloodflow to return. Slowly the blood came back to her head, and Quistis felt the dizziness disappear. Sighing, she leaned back, feeling herself sink further into the mattress as she placed a hand behind her to support her.   
  
Wow, Seifer's mattress is so comfy....much softer than mine....the covers are so downy and warm and wet.....  
  
  
  
Wait a minute. Wet? That's not right.....  
  
  
  
Slowly Quistis turned around to look down at the bed and realized that in her momentary spell of dizziness, she had sat down *directly* in the spray paint, which hadn't gotten a chance to dry and was totally.......freaking.......wet.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!" Quistis jumped up with a cry, and when she turned around to determine how bad the damage was, she saw a humongous bleary red smear where she had been sitting on the covers, but even worse....there was the most horrid crimson stain streaked across the entire seat of her pants.  
  
For a second she didn't say anything, just stood there looking at the mess that was Seifer's bed and a very similar mess that was her pants.  
  
"These were my favorite jeans! HYNE!"  
  
Quick quick gotta wash the jeans before the stain sets in....How long does it take for spray paint to dry? I hope a long time....Please wash out, I don't want this huge MESS on the back of my favorite jeans!! It took me forever to find a pair that fit so comfortably....  
  
Quistis ran into the sparkling white bathroom that was adjoined to Seifer's room, not even bothering to shut the door behind her as she quickly peeled off her jeans and threw them into the sink. Pumping her hands full of soap from the soap dispenser, she set about to washing her pants under the purging rush of cold water that rushed out of the stainless steel faucet. Her hands chafed against one another as she scrubbed furiously, watching the bubbly suds turn bright pink in her hands then disappear in swirling rivulets down the drain. Water splashed over the rim of the sink and all over her, soaking her through and drenching her shirt and making it cling wetly to her damp skin.  
  
Oh come on, there's still so much red!  
  
Her hands sore from scouring the rough denim, Quistis turned off the faucet, defeated in the battle against stains.  
  
I loved those jeans.....  
  
She wrung them dry, wrenching the thick fabric in her strong hands, her pants making a squelching sound as all the excess water poured forth, trickling down into the sink and leaving Quistis' hands soaking wet.  
  
That'll have to do. But since my pants are all wet.....  
  
In her fervor to remove the stain from her pants, Quistis' state of current undress had gone unnoticed to her. But now it slowly dawned on her that she was standing in the middle of Seifer's room in only her underwear and a medium-sized T-shirt soaked through with slick soapy pink-red stains. Suddenly she felt very exposed, goosebumps growing on her legs as a small breeze from the vent in the room blew across her bare legs. Standing in the middle of Seifer's room, she had never felt more naked in her life.  
  
  
  
***********  
  
  
  
I swear I just heard a really loud crash. Like the sound of someone falling....and then someone groaning..... It sounded like it was coming from one of those rooms..... Geez, it's probably those two in the room next to mine getting 'frisky' again.... ugh I hate it when they get so loud. It's really disgusting and I can hear *everything*..... But the light in their room seems to be out.... And I'm pretty sure I just saw them in the ballroom, so that can't be them...... Hey, wait a minute, now that I think about it, I think those sounds were coming from *my* room! What the hell? There's nobody in there....at least, there *shouldn't* be.... Raijin, I swear to Hyne if that's you searching for your dirty magazines in my room again, I swear on Hyperion I'm gonna pummel you senseless!  
  
Intent on giving Raijin the whooping of his life, Seifer forgot all about his bad luck with the vending machine and walked determinedly towards where he could clearly see a thin crack of light seeping out from under his door.  
  
  
  
************  
  
  
  
I can't leave the room like this! If someone saw me walking around like this, oh Hyne if someone saw me walking out of *Seifer's* room like this, I'd never hear the end of it! I have to find some pants....pants.....Seifer, where in the hell do you keep your pants?!?   
  
Normally she would be disgusted at the thought of wearing something that belonged to Seifer, but at that particular moment, she was left without much of a choice. She spotted his dresser by the bed, hurried over to it and threw the top drawer open, plunging her hands into it and rooting around, desperately hoping to find something wearable only to feel the soft, worn fabric of loads and loads of......boxers.   
  
  
  
She had successfully plundered her way into Seifer Almasy's underwear drawer.   
  
  
  
Absolute horror of what her hands were touching; no, not touching, but *clutching* in huge wadded handfuls, struck her, and for a moment she was rooted to the spot, aghast at the notion of touching objects that were constantly in close contact with....with......oh HYNE!!!!!  
  
Quistis was about to scream in horror, but the sound of something.....someone.....stopped her.  
  
  
  
No.  
  
  
  
It had to be her imagination.  
  
  
  
She did not just hear footsteps.  
  
  
  
She did not just hear someone coming down the hall.  
  
  
  
She did not just hear someone stop in front of the door that led to the very room she was in, clutching great gobbing handfuls of Seifer's underwear and wearing only a soggy T-shirt with toilet paper covering every inch of furniture and red spray paint streaked all over the bed.  
  
  
  
No no no no no no no no no no no no no this was just not possible!!!!!  
  
  
  
She didn't have time to react, not even to think.  
  
  
  
She heard the faint beep of the electronic card being registered from outside the room. The door slid open, and Quistis' heart stopped.  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Heh heh heh....this chapter was much longer than the first one, but oh so much more fun to write. Betcha wanna find out what's going to happen next. What will Seifer's reaction be? How will Quistis explain his room and...other things? Will Quistis ever be able to get the red stain out of her pants? Stay tuned for chapter three of Double Dares and Hoping Hearts to find out! 


	3. Terms

Double Dares and Hopeful Hearts: Chapter 3  
  
by Kitian  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters being used are owned by me because I am not Squaresoft, just a broke RPG fan with lots of spare time to write. Rats.  
  
Key: = Character's internal thoughts  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She didn't have time to react, not even to think.  
  
  
  
She heard the faint beep of the electronic card being registered from outside the room. The door slid open, and Quistis' heart stopped.  
  
Oh Hyne...please....let it be anyone but *him*.....I'll just die....  
  
Quistis Trepe had never considered herself much of a spiritual person. She didn't believe in fate, she didn't believe in luck. When she had been found abandoned as a child in the streets of Deling City by Matron, she assumed it was pure coincidence that the motherly woman had decided to take a different route coming home from the grocery store. When she became an Instructor at an extraordinarily young age, she regarded it as the result of fifteen years of hard work and perserverance. When she and the others had defeated Ultimecia, she chalked it all up to their exceptional abilities and unfaltering will to prevail. Not luck. Quistis Trepe wasn't the type of woman who needed luck, had never depended on chance or good fortune to get her by.  
  
But right now, Quistis was praying with all her might to whatever gods might be listening that they would see it fit to make her lucky, just this once, and not have Seifer Almasy walk in the door.  
  
  
  
Lady Luck was always very fickle.  
  
  
  
The jade green eyes were a dead giveaway. If not them, the high, sharply angled cheekbones, perfectly groomed head of rich blonde hair, and tall, imposing, muscular figure that practically took up the entire doorway certainly revealed who it was that had decided to walk in on Quistis.  
  
  
  
Seifer freaking Almasy.  
  
  
  
Exactly the last person she wanted to see.  
  
  
  
At first he just stood there, blinking. It took a moment for his brain to register what his eyes were seeing, but once it did, his jaw slackened in disbelief and he was left speechless. Walls which were once stark white were now mottled with spattered red paint; bedsheets which were once a clean slate gray were now streaked crimson with scrawling letters; furniture that had once been neatly arranged was now strewn with heaps of winding toilet paper.   
  
My.......room........what the....what the HELL happened to it??!?!?  
  
His verdant green eyes narrowed into intense slits of emerald, his eyes radiating a severity and anger that was hard to describe. His fists clenched at his side, his brow furrowed in a mixture of confusion, shock, disbelief, and growing rage.   
  
"Who the hell......" Seifer growled, his words coming out in a low, rumbling snarl that was feral and almost beastly sounding.  
  
Oh Hyne oh hyne oh hyne oh hyne oh hyne oh hyne I can't believe it's him it's HIM he's just standing there I wonder what he's thinking what the hell is going through his head right now oh he looks so angry I think he could kill me but he hasn't said anything yet, he hasn't even moved or looked my way....maybe he hasn't seen me yet maybe he's still in shock.....maybe if I stand here reeeaaaal still he won't even notice I'm here, just don't make a sound and he won't know I'm here.....  
  
  
  
Fat chance.  
  
  
  
Slowly Seifer turned his head, his eyes still trying to register the sight of his wrecked room. If Seifer thought he was shocked before, though, he certainly was not prepared for what he saw next. For the next thing his eyes fell upon was the half-naked, dripping wet form of Quistis Trepe, standing at his dresser with his underwear drawer wide open and her delicate hands clenched firmly around several pairs of his favorite white boxers.  
  
  
  
The surprises just kept coming.  
  
  
  
"........Instructor......?!?!??" Seifer's eyes widened in incredulity, his once angered features now filled with bewilderment.  
  
Mentally, Quistis was falling all over herself right now, her mind a frantic chaotic mess of scrambled nerves all screaming at her to MOVE dammit, speak, do something! Instead she just stood there, frozen in place, not knowing what to do. A deer in headlights, as the expression goes.  
  
"Uhh......yeah......it's me......."   
  
Fantastic, Trepe. You are just a mastermind with the words, aren't you??? Holy Mother of Hyne you've done it now. Talk about the shit hitting the fan. Just try and talk yourself out of this one, Quistis.  
  
Seifer's mind was drawing a blank as well, so dumbfounded was he at seeing his very own instructor in front of him, amidst a room that had had the hell vandalized out of it.  
  
She couldn't have......  
  
  
  
  
  
....could she?  
  
  
  
"Uh....what....are you doing in my room?"   
  
As if it wasn't obvious.  
  
"I....ummmm.....well, you see......Seifer, your room is....I can explain........" Quistis stammered, finally finding it in herself to move, although not very gracefully. She started to back away from Seifer as her numbed brain kept stuttering out answers, stumbling backwards in an attempt to get as far away from him as possible.  
  
".....Explain? So....*you* did this to my room??" Anger slowly started to creep into his voice, replacing disbelief as his eyes narrowed again.   
  
"Um....well, yes....but....but it's not like I did it on purpose! I mean....I did do it on purpose...I just.....uh....." Quistis' mouth went dry and her stomach starting churning as she noticed that Seifer had noticed her backing away and was starting to advance on her, fists still clenched at his side and eyes still glaring daggers of death. Fumbling for words, she tried to step back farther, only to find herself trapped against Seifer's bed. Nowhere to go, and Seifer still kept coming forward..... Quistis felt fear gripping her like an ice cold hand, clamping around her heart and freezing her veins.  
  
"Not on purpose? Then tell me....what exactly *were* you thinking when you.....did this to my room, Instructor? And no bullshitting me either.....I can tell when someone is lying and you're in no position to do so right now." Seifer's voice was deep and dangerously quiet, every word coming out slowly and carefully, every syllable a deadly threat in itself.   
  
Scared to death, Quistis felt her legs give out beneath her and she stumbled backwards, dropping heavily onto the bed. He leaned forward, staring directly into her eyes and forcing her to back up against the wall. He had her cornered, and she felt like a trapped animal. His eyes practically glowed as he looked at her expectantly, waiting for her answer like a time bomb waiting to go off.  
  
"It....I just.....Irvine and Selphie and everyone and even Squall, th-they....they dared me to do it......they told me I couldn't do it, that I was too stuffy and didn't know how to have fun....and they didn't think I could do it so they dared me to, and...and so I did it....I just....didn't want them to think I was afraid, I don't want them thinking I couldn't do it....." The words tumbled out of Quistis, and she gripped tightly the blankets beneath her, grasping huge folds of it in her hands to keep from falling off the bed in anxiety.  
  
She tried to judge Seifer's reaction, but even with his face practically up against hers she couldn't tell what was going through his mind. Frantically her eyes searched his face, trying to discern the slightest trace of emotion at what she'd just told him, but he just stared at her, silent, his intense eyes still peering at her and making her feel very uncomfortable and incredibly nervous.  
  
What could he possibly be thinking right now? Oh please.....I have to know what he's thinking.....  
  
After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Seifer suddenly straightened up, threw his head back, and started to laugh. Deep, throaty, and rough, the laughter reverberated around the room, leaving Quistis stunned.  
  
What....why is he laughing?? What the hell is so funny? What is WRONG with him??   
  
Seifer continued to laugh uncontrollably, his hands now clutching his stomach as he double over in mirth.  
  
What the FUCK is going on? Why is he laughing at me? Is this some kind of weird joke to him??  
  
Indignant, Quistis forgot everything else and sat up straight.  
  
"What the hell is so damned funny, Seifer??"  
  
Seifer's laughter was slowly dying away into a hearty chuckle, and he wiped the corner of his eyes where he had been tearing up from laughing so hard.  
  
"It's just that....well I mean come on, Instructor! This is *you* we're talking about here.... I mean, I never took you to be the type to take a dare, especially from a bunch of ignorant twerps like Selphie and that Irvine guy. I never thought you'd have it in you, doing something like this..... The invincible Quistis Trepe, taking dares like some childish middle schooler. I'd never believe it in a million years. You really are something, you know that?"  
  
Quistis felt her face burning with indignation and resentment. How dare he say that to her? Yes, sure, so part of what he was saying was true. But really, he had no *right* telling her that; *he* was the one who was always bullying little kids and acting immature in class. She didn't come here to be here humiliated. Now she was starting to regret that he hadn't just gotten angry and blown up at her; at least she could reason with that. This was worse....now he was laughing at her. Quistis became flushed, reddening in shame and frustration.  
  
"Well I'm glad you're so amused, Seifer. I'll be leaving now, so if you don't mind..." Forgetting about her state of undress, Quistis huffily got up from the bed where she was sitting and brushed by Seifer, not wanting to look him in the face. She was about to make a hasty retreat out the door when a broad strong arm reached out in front of her, stopping her.  
  
"Where do you think you're going so fast? Don't think you're getting off this lightly, Instructor. Don't forget, you did still trash my room....." All signs of mirth had been wiped off Seifer's face now, and he looked at her with complete seriousness. A small frown crossed his thin lips, his arm still steadfast and firmly in Quistis' way.  
  
"Oh, so what, now you're going to punish me? Is that it, Seifer? Don't you think that this is punishment enough, me being humiliated like this? I'm sorry I wrecked your room, ok? All I want to do now is get the hell out of here. Now let me go." Quistis struggled to move forward, but Seifer refused to budge his arm, his hand clamped firmly around the doorframe.  
  
"Don't make me repeat myself, Instructor. You ruined my room. I don't care if it was for some stupid little dare; nobody does that to Seifer Almasy. I'm not letting you leave this room until I get some kind of compensation for what you've done to my property." Seifer's voice was solemn, and Quistis knew that he was serious about what he was saying.. She felt a little bit of the fear she had felt when trapped on Seifer's bed flare up in her throat, but she quickly pushed it down, not wanting to let Seifer's stern voice scare her.  
  
"Compensation? I'm not about to give you compensation of any kind, Seifer. I'm telling you for the last time.... Let. Me. Go."  
  
Seifer sighed heavily. "I don't think you grasp the weight of the situation. See, you may think of what you did as merely a dare, a harmless prank. But I doubt the Balamb Garden Council will think of it as lightly. You wouldn't want to lose your job as an Instructor over something like harassing a student, now, would you?"  
  
Quistis froze, horror sweeping over her. He wouldn't......no......that would just be to cruel. She couldn't lose her Instructor's license a second time, not over something this petty.  
  
"You wouldn't...." she growled, looking up at him. The look in his eyes told her he was perfectly capable of doing so, and this time Quistis couldn't control the fear welling up inside her.   
  
"Well, I'd have to tell them *something* about how my room got this way, and I'm not very good at making stuff up. Besides, you don't seem like the type of woman who would resort to lying to cover up something she's done. Then again.....you do seem to be very full of surprises tonight, don't you? I hope you're not planning on making a habit out of doing the unexpected. Especially when it could end up costing your job...." He was  
  
mocking her now, and for a moment Quistis felt pure hatred for him. He was smirking, *smirking* goddammit, wholly amused with his total control over the situation and the fact that there was no way she could argue with him.  
  
Resignedly, Quistis sighed and stepped away from the door.  
  
"Fine. You win. What do you want?"  
  
"I don't know. Like I said, I just want even compensation for my room. Nothing less, nothing more."  
  
"Well I don't know what you want from me, I'm not big on blackmailing other people. And I'm not about to give you suggestions, so just think of what I owe you and get it over with."  
  
"Well, let's see....what could make up for breaking into my dorm, toilet papering my room, spray painting my bed, and invading my privacy? Don't think I didn't see you rifling through my underwear drawer, Instructor. I doubt that was part of the dare....just can't control these little urges of ours, can we?" Seifer smirked as Quistis flushed a bright red, her mind racing with embarassment. So he'd noticed.  
  
"Don't even THINK for one second that I'm as perverted as you, Seifer! There's no way I'd ever be caught dead going through your stuff. I just happened to be looking for a pair of pants to replace mine....." The second she said it, Quistis regretted it. Seifer took note of her word's and deliberately looked her up and down, assessing her lack of attire, his eyes trailing the length of her bare legs and her dripping T-shirt which barely even reached mid-thigh. Quistis blushed even harder.  
  
"And don't you DARE get any perverted ideas in that head of yours, Almasy! Just because I don't want to lose my job doesn't mean I'm willing to....to...." She trailed off, not wanting to complete that thought. Seifer raised his hands in mock-innocence, a look on his face that said 'who me?'  
  
"It never even crossed my mind. Honest. But....now that you mention it......"  
  
"Don't. Push. Your. Luck."  
  
Seifer grinned. "Alright fine, if you insist on being that way. However, the problem still remains.....how will you repay me?"  
  
Quistis crossed her arms over her chest and looked away testily. "I don't know. I don't really care, as long as no one knows this ever happened."  
  
Seifer made a wry face, suddenly amused with what popped into his head. Quistis could feel him smiling, but she was afraid to turn and look at him, so she kept her eyes fixed on the wall, waiting for him to speak.  
  
"Instructor.....do you remember that time I stole Squall's report and put my name on it? You put me on student probation for a month, making me clean up the classroom and wash blackboards for four weeks straight."  
  
The memory registered vaguely in the back of Quistis' mind. ".......Yes......" Quistis replied hesitantly. What was he getting at?  
  
"Well, I've thought of a perfect plan. You get to be my own personal slave for a whole month. Any errand I don't want to do, any favors I need to be done, you'll do them. You answer to my every little command. A whole month. No questions asked. In return, I don't tell anyone about what you did to my room and you get to keep your job. Simple enough?"  
  
Quistis felt horrified. Obey Seifer's every command, perform his every whim? For a whole month? That was ridiculous! She couldn't think of a worse punishment. Not in a million years. She'd rather trash a dozen students' rooms before agreeing to an absurd request like that.  
  
"Are you kidding me? Absolutely not, Seifer. There is no way in Hell you're going to make me be your personal slave, not for a whole month. Out of the question."  
  
Seifer shook his head sadly, smiling at Quistis' response. She certainly was feisty, he had to give her that. He admired a woman who could stand her ground, especially against him. It's too bad that he had to make her go through this; out of the whole irritating group of Squall's followers, she was the one he'd detested the least. But Seifer never backed down from something he said; if he told her she owed him, then she owed him. And if that meant she had to be his slave for a whole month, well, Seifer certainly wasn't going to take no for an answer.  
  
"I admire your tenacity, Instuctor, but you seem to be forgetting that you're not the only one involved in this little prank of yours. Selphie, Irvine, Zell, Rinoa.....even that detestable Squall Leonhart were all in on this. And your beloved Squall may be the Commander of SeeDs, but Cid still is Headmaster of the entire Garden and his authority overrides that of Puberty-boy's. If you don't do this, I'll make sure every last one of them is held responsible for persecution of a fellow student. I know how the punishment process works here better than anyone; I *am* on the Disciplinary Committee. You may be stubborn, Instructor, but you're not stupid enough to get all of your friends in trouble. No matter what, Seifer Almasy always comes out on top. Always."   
  
Seifer watched Quistis' face for her reaction, and he was more than pleased when her eyes widened in horror and her mouth fell open.   
  
Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa, Zell.......Squall? Can Seifer really do that? I wouldn't doubt it.....he doesn't seem like the type to bluff..... Oh Hyne I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they all got in trouble because I made such a stupid mistake!   
  
Seifer could see her mind racing, running over all the implications of what he'd told her, and her entire body visibly tensed as she came to a conclusion. Seifer couldn't help smiling inwardly; he'd won. She had no choice. She had to give in.   
  
They should have known better than to mess with me. *Nobody* pulls a prank on Seifer Almasy and gets away with it. Not even Quistis Trepe.  
  
Quistis clenched her fists at her side, her whole body taut. She couldn't believe she was going to do this. Seifer could see her distress, and he felt triumphant.  
  
"Fine. I'll do it. I'll be your 'slave' for one.....whole.....month. Just....don't let word of this get out, don't get anyone in trouble. This is all my doing, not theirs, okay? So leave them out of it."  
  
Victory. "Deal. You keep up your end of the bargain, and I'll keep mine. Seifer Almasy never breaks his word, I assure you." Seifer stoically placed his hand over his heart, grinning widely at Quistis. He even did a grand, sweeping bow, the kind that only a knight would do, the whole time a cheesy grin plastered on his face. Oh, this little deal of theirs was going to be *so* much fun. He was going to make every second of it worthwhile.  
  
Quistis felt her stomach sink. I can't believe it.....I'm Seifer's lapdog.....for a whole *month*......what have I gotten myself into???  
  
Seifer stood up, brushing off his SeeD uniform. "Well. I'm glad we got that whole thing out of the way. Now that that's settled......shall we go?"  
  
Huh?  
  
"What? We? Go where?" Quistis' head jerked up, puzzled by Seifer's words.  
  
Seifer looked at her as if she had just asked him the most obvious question in the world. "What, you don't really expect me to sleep in *here* tonight, do you? Look at this place! I don't know how many rooms you've vandalized, dear Instructor, but you've certainly done a spectacular job of making a mess of mine. And since you *are* obligated to do whatever I say....well, I'm afraid it's your duty to provide me with a place to sleep. So logically, I'll be spending the night in your room. Now....shall we go?" Seifer gestured to the door, waiting for Quistis to lead him to her room as if it were a perfectly normal thing for her to do.  
  
This.....is.......ridiculous. I can't believe he's doing this to me. I can't believe I'm actually going to go along with this. I can't believe I am actually considering the idea of letting Seifer Almasy, *the* Seifer Almasy that has been a thorn in my side since the day we met, spend the night in my room, with me, alone....Oh. Hyne.  
  
Quistis cradled her head in her hands, disbelieving the absurdity of the entire situation. There wasn't much she could do, though. Seifer held all the leverage in this situation, and it *was* her fault that he didn't have a decent place to sleep for the night.  
  
Only for one night.....only for one night.....  
  
"Oh yeah, and before we go, you might want to put these on. You're probably freezing just standing there like that."   
  
Quistis lifted her head only to be hit in the stomach with a big soft wad of dark blue fabric. Seifer had thrown a bundled up pair of sweatpants in her direction and turned his back to her, staring at the wall and crossing his arms as he waited for her to change.   
  
Hmph. That's the first considerate thing he's done all night. I didn't even have to ask him for some pants, or to turn around. Maybe he isn't a complete jerk.........  
  
Quistis unrolled the sweatpants, then stepped into them one foot at a time. She pulled on the thick fleecy material so that the pants came up to her waist, only to find that......  
  
"Seifer!!!!!!!"  
  
"What, what?!? What'd I do?" Seifer spun around.  
  
"These pants are humongous! How am I supposed to wear these? Just look at me!!!" Quistis was practically swimming in the sweatpants, which were drooping way below her waistline, held up only by her own two hands bunching them at the sides. The pantlegs were baggy and far too long for her legs, the material pooling at her feet, covering her toes and then some. Overall she looked downright comical, like a little kid trying on adult  
  
clothes for the first time. His pants practically swallowed her.  
  
Seifer could have laughed his head off at the sight of her, but the serious look on her face told him that he'd be better off saving the humor of the situation for later. "Heh, sorry. Guess I didn't realize you were that much smaller than me. Too bad for you, that's the only size I've got. Everything else I own is either the same size or bigger."  
  
Quistis frowned.  
  
"Well, what am I supposed to do? I doubt I could take a step in these pants without falling over, let alone go all the way over to my room, which is two floors up from here!"  
  
"Well.....you could always go without them.....I certainly wouldn't mind, and it's quite a nice look on you....." Seifer grinned, wagging his eyebrows at her.  
  
"Ugh!! You're disgusting. Never mind, these will have to do. Let's just go; I don't want this night to last any longer than it already has." I just want to go to sleep and forget any of this ever happened. The shorter tonight is the better.  
  
Quistis walked down the hallway, holding up Seifer's sweatpants with one hand and clutching her Instructor's keycard in the other. Seifer idly sauntered beside her, his long legs perfectly capable of keeping up with her as she walked hastily in the direction of her room. Neither of them said anything, only walked side by side in utter silence. Occasionally she glanced up at him through the corner of her eye, only to see Seifer staring straight ahead, hands thrust deep in his pockets. He didn't seem to be showing a lot of emotion, except for the faintest trace of amusement and....contentment? playing upon his features, but that could have been the odd lighting in the Garden hallways. Lack of sleep played weird tricks on the mind.  
  
Finally they reached the door to her room, which was reclusively located at the farthest end of one of the uppermost dormitory halls. These rooms were known for being much larger and nicer than the customary SeeD rooms given to students on the lower floors. Being an Instructor had its perks.  
  
Wordlessly she slipped her card through the ID slot, and the door whooshed open. Quistis quickly walked in without looking behind her to see if Seifer followed. For all she was concerned, he could spend the rest of the night locked out in the hall and it wouldn't bother her in the least. Nope. Not in the least.  
  
Light flooded the room as Quistis flicked the switch to her left, and Seifer let out a low whistle as he surveyed his plush surroundings. Quistis' room had to be at least two, possibly three times the size of normal SeeD rooms, which were designed to comfortably provide two full-grown adult with sleeping and studying areas. The place was well-lit with a number of elegant lamps, giving the entire room an effulgent glow.   
  
Unlike normal SeeD students, instructors were allowed the privilege of being able to put whatever and however much they wanted into their domiciles, and Quistis had put a lot of work into making this place feel like home to her. There were paintings she'd both made and bought hanging on the walls in cultivated frames; a small but expensive glass coffee table stood in front of a large, comfortable-looking peach-colored sofa; a queen-sized bed stood off to the side of the room, complete with a full set of downy pillows and silk sheets.  
  
"Wow, Instructor.... they really treat teachers well, here, don't they? Daamn. If I'd only known....maybe I would have tried harder to pass all those darned SeeD tests...."  
  
"Maybe you should've tried harder because it's the right thing to do. Cheating doesn't get you anywhere, and neither does slacking off."  
  
"Hm. Ever the Instructor, I see." Seifer paused. "Except for when you're wrecking other people's rooms, of course."  
  
Quistis glowered at him, daring him to add anything to that statement. He's never, ever going to let me live this down, is he?  
  
Seifer only responded by brushing off her icy cold glare and striding purposefully over to her full-length couch, which he promptly plopped himself into. He stretched languidly across the entire length of the sofa, his lithe figure impossibly long as he extended his arms above his head and yawned. Quistis watched him with impatience, her arms crossed, tapping her foot on the floor.  
  
"Ahhhhh......this is sooooo nice. I don't understand why you teachers need a bed when you got stuff this nice lying around the place. I tell ya, some people just get plain spoiled."  
  
Quistis bristled at his remark. Spoiled? She worked hard, dammit, dealing with obstinate kids every day, spending hours a night grading srcribbled papers, going over tests and lesson plans with the utmost scrutiny. She thought she more than deserved a nice couch in her room.  
  
"Seifer, I didn't bring you here so you could affront my lifestyle. I brought you here because I felt the tiniest bit guilty about ruining your room, and because it was only practical to have you stay here because you have nowhere else to go. Of course, I think this more than balances for what little guilt I felt, so please stop trying to insult me. It's the last thing I need right now, okay?"  
  
To her surprise, Seifer's face fell a little and he actually looked genuinely sorry that he had called her spoiled. He murmured something under his breath that she couldn't make out, but it almost sounded like it could've been.....an apology? No way. Seifer never apologized. It had to have been her imagination.  
  
Maybe she could have been a little less harsh, though......  
  
If Seifer had felt at all remorseful, he quickly got over it and moments later showed no sign of it. He jumped off her couch and walked directly into her bathroom, calling out behind him, "I'm using it first, so you'll have to wait!" and then shutting the door behind him. He hadn't even asked.  
  
Finally alone, Quistis sank exhaustedly into her couch, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She massaged her throbbing temples, felt like screaming, but settled for sighing heavily.  
  
What a night......  
  
She realized that all her muscles were tensed so rigid it was to the point of aching. Forcing herself to relax, she breathed in and out, letting herself sink farther and farther into the soft, comforting recesses of her couch. Through the bathroom door, she could hear the rushing noise of the faucet and the faint sound of Seifer brushing his teeth.  
  
Quistis shook her head. The entire situation, this entire freaking night had been so absurd, so preposterously surreal that she had no choice but to go with the flow. She still couldn't believe that directly in the next room, her very own bathroom, Seifer Almasy was brushing his teeth. Brushing. His. God. Damned. Teeth. It was like they were freaking married.   
  
"Unnnngh...." Quistis pulled herself up from the couch. She dragged her feet over to her dresser and pulled out a smaller, much more fitting pair of light grey sweatpants and changed into them, doing so as quickly as possible in case Seifer didn't believe in brushing his teeth for very long. Turning around, she expertly tossed Seifer's sweats onto the arm of her sofa.   
  
Spotting the plush pillows lining the sides of the couch, she walked over to them and picked them all up in an armful, squeezing the pillows to her in a possessive embrace as she walked them over to her bed and plunked them down there. Seifer was only getting the bare necessities for sleep tonight. He was lucky she wasn't making him sleep on the floor. All right, so she had messed up his place, and it was only fair that she let him stay the night. That didn't mean she was about to make his stay a pleasant one, though.  
  
Laying herself stomach down on the bed, Quistis stretched herself as far out as she could go, moaning in satisfaction as she buried her face into the cluster of pillows now crammed around the head of her bed. She wriggled around a little, pushing around the blankets to mold to her form, then lay still, face embedded in the shrine of soft pillows.   
  
Mmmm.....sleep.....finally......I never thought tonight would end......thank Hyne it's over.......  
  
Quistis felt herself being pulled into the warm comfort of her bed, falling deeper and deeper into its pliant folds. Her breath heated the pillows, and she reveled in the feeling as warmth spread across her entire face, her eyes firmly closed. Sleep called to her, beckoning her tired brain into its calming, tranquil depths, making sweet promises of rest and forgetful bliss.  
  
Bed........feels....so.....good......so.........warm.......just..........want...........sleep............slee  
  
p.............slee-  
  
"Quistis!!!!! Do you have any dental floss??? I can't find any in your cupboard..... It's all just shampoo bottles and girly crap like that. ...Hey, Quistis? Quistis, you still breathing over there?? Some help here please!!"   
  
Quistis screamed with all her might into her pillow.  
  
AAAAUUUUUUUGHHHH!!!!!! That asshole!!!!! I was *just* starting to fall asleep, and he has to practically wake up the whole frickin' Garden because he wants *dental floss*?!?!?! I'm going to kill him!!!!!  
  
She stormed out of bed and over to her linen closet, where she kept extra dental floss in case she ran out. Picking up one of the small white plastic cases, she hurled it at the bathroom door with all her might. Ideally, Seifer would have opened the door at that exact moment, allowing the dental floss to bean him right smack in the face. That would have made Quistis feel a lot better.   
  
Instead, the dental floss harmlessly bounced off the bathroom door, to land with a pathetic little 'plink' on the ground.  
  
"There! There's your goddamned dental floss, I hope you're happy! Now for Hyne's sake, please, just let me go to sleep!!!" Stomping her way over to her bed, Quistis adamantly flopped herself back down onto it, stubbornly burying her face back into her pillows. She listened as the bathroom door opened, and Seifer leaned over to pick up the dental floss. She remained perfectly still as she heard the plastic case be pulled off the floor, then tensed as she realized Seifer still wasn't closing the door. Was he just.....standing there?  
  
Quistis' heart raced as the thought crossed her mind. Is he watching me? Oh Hyne, I bet he's just standing there looking at me like the pervert he is, thinking Hyne know's wha--  
  
The door squeaked a little before clicking firmly shut behind him. The sound of water rushing started again.  
  
Quistis' pulse slowed back down again, and she relaxed. She almost felt a little....disappointed.....  
  
Oh hell. I just hope he's happy with the dental floss. If he wakes me up again for soap or something stupid like that, I'm just going to have to beat him senseless with a textbook. That guy can be so aggravating....  
  
Sighing, Quistis turned her head to the side so she was looking at the blank surface of the bathroom door. Having her face in the pillows didn't allow her the luxury of breathing, so she settled for laying sideways.  
  
Good. He's quiet in there. *Now* I can finally get back to sleep. Ugh........my muscles are so sore.......I really love this mattress......  
  
Quistis felt her eyelids getting heavy, drooping until she couldn't hold them open any longer.  
  
Back....to....sleep........  
  
The toilet flushed, and Seifer threw the door wide open, allowing a flood of blinding light to fall directly onto Quistis' face. He stood in the doorway, his massive silhouette casting a shadow across her prone, but now completely awake, form.  
  
I'm.......going........to........strangle.......him.......  
  
Quistis' eyes flew open, her mind filled with every intention of throttling the figure standing in her bathroom doorway.   
  
"Seifer.....what the hell do you think you're--"  
  
She was stopped, though, when her eyes adjusted to the light and she realized that she was staring at Seifer's naked, muscular chest. He was wearing only the black formal pants that belonged to the SeeD uniform, his belt and shirt slung casually over his shoulder. Quistis' mind went blank as she stared at his bare torso: firm, tall, rippling with bronzed muscle, hard and tanned to perfection..... The light thrown on him from the bathroom surrounded his form with a soft glow, highlighting every lithe feature on his body.  
  
.......sexy........  
  
Seifer's eye caught Quistis' and she realized she was gawking. She mentally slapped herself silly, shaking herself out of her hormone-induced reverie. Oh Hyne I can't *believe* what I was just thinking about Seifer with his shirt....off......SNAP OUT OF IT Quistis! This is *Seifer* we're talking about here.....the man who bugs the living daylights out of you? Almost got you fired? Twice? And happens to look incredibly good without a shirt on, showing off all that perfectly sculpted muscle and--oh Hyne.....I need to stop thinking. Right. Now.  
  
Seifer was grinning crazily inwardly. He had most definitely caught Quistis admiring him in only his SeeD pants, and he could see her berating herself mentally for it right now. Could he help it if he was so damned irresistable?  
  
Externally Seifer remained entirely calm, showing no sign that he had acknowledged Quistis' momentary lapse of self-restraint. Coolly he walked over to the couch, where he slung the shirt and belt off his shoulders and dumped them on top of the sweatpants. He bent over the couch, readjusting the cushions so they were more accommodating to his liking.  
  
Quistis recollected her wits, determined not to let Seifer get to her. "Seifer....you're not planning to sleep like that, are you?"  
  
He barely looked up at her, turning his head only the slightest bit in her direction as he remained stooped over the sofa, patting the cushions.  
  
"Well, it's either this or I sleep in just my boxers like I normally do. Although....who knows, you might like that outfit better.....you certainly seem to have a penchant for looking at my underwear......." Seifer raised an eyebrow at her suggestively, straightening up so he could look her straight in the face, at the same time conveniently giving her a head-on view of his chiseled figure.  
  
Quistis quickly buried her face back into her protective pillows, out of disgust for Seifer's nonchalance and embarassment at the fact that she had caught herself admiring Seifer's bare upper body for a second time that night and she was starting to blush.  
  
Dammit.....what the hell is wrong with me?  
  
"Ugh...do whatever you want. And don't ever mention boxers to me again, Seifer. You know perfectly well I have absolutely no interest in your underwear whatsoever." Her voice came out muffled from behind the pillows, but she didn't care. She just wanted him to disappear right now. He was troubling her mind more than enough to last her a lifetime.  
  
"Sure....." he said quietly, although he really knew that Quistis wasn't looking through his boxers drawer for her own pleasure, he was just poking fun at her because, well, he liked to see her squirm. It wasn't often he found something that he could use against the icy Instructor, and he certainly wasn't about to let her live it down. Not for a while, anyway.  
  
Quistis refused to look back up at him or respond, so he turned off the light and flopped down onto the couch, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the dark ceiling. He tried closing his eyes, but he felt so restless right now, so fitfully awake that the attempt didn't last long. He looked over to where Quistis was lying face down in bed, and he watched her breathe for a while, trying to judge whether or not she was still awake. What the hell. He was still awake, so it didn't really matter. She was just going to have to be awake with him.  
  
"Quistis?"  
  
Quistis didn't respond. She just lay there, silently wishing that he wouldn't push any farther. Just pretend you're asleep....maybe he'll go away.....maybe he'll just shut up and leave me alone and I can finally finally go to sleep.....  
  
"Quistis? You awake?"  
  
No...please.....for Hyne's sake, please just be quiet and go to sleep!!  
  
"Hey! You awake over there?"  
  
"MmmmMMNNNGH." Quistis groaned into her pillow. Hyne, this guy just never gave up.  
  
"What *now*, Seifer?"  
  
"I dunno. I just couldn't sleep, that's all. Wanted to see if you were awake."  
  
Holy Shiva. He's like a little kid, only worse! At this rate, I'm *never* going to get to sleep. I swear, he's doing it on purpose....he's doing this because he knows it'll drive me crazy and I won't, can't do nything about it because it's part of our stupid little deal. Hyne.  
  
"Well I am now, thanks to you. Seifer, why don't you just count sheep or something....I'd really like to go to sleep......"  
  
Seifer shifted on the couch so that he was halfway sitting up on the couch, his hands still firmly secured behind his head. "I'd really like to and all, but sleep just isn't doing it for me right now. So.....since you're my slave and all now, I'd like you to entertain me while I can't sleep. Just....I dunno. Talk or something."  
  
You.....have....GOT.....to....be....kidding.....me.  
  
"........Talk, Seifer? You don't exactly strike me as the type of person who enjoys friendly conversation. And I know I'm not the type who enjoys it at freaking one AM in the morning. Find something else to entertain you. I'm going back to sleep."   
  
"Aw c'mon, Instructor. I'm bored. I hate being bored. Shoot, you didn't even give me a blanket or anything to sleep with! I'm surprised I'm not freezing to death over here."  
  
"Well that's just TOO BAD for you because that's all you're going to get. What are you anyway, some kind of baby? Why don't you just go put on a shirt for Hyne's sake?"  
  
"Cuz.....that'd be too simple. I'm here to be a pain in your ass, remember?"  
  
Quistis sighed. He was most certainly right about that.  
  
"Ungh......fine......if you INSIST.......just what exactly would you like to talk about, now that I'm completely wide awake?"  
  
Seifer laid back thoughtfully, the soft velvet of the sofa's cushion cool against the warm skin of his bare back.  
  
"Hmmm.....well......for starters......what *were* you doing in my underwear drawer, anyway? I mean, aside from the fact that you're so undeniably wild for me and had the uncontrollable urge to go on a boxer raid."  
  
Quistis forced herself not to move, quelling the urge to get up and whack Seifer upside the head.  
  
"Seifer, I thought I told you never to mention boxers to me again."  
  
"Yeah, well, I don't ever remember agreeing to that. So.....gonna tell me or what?"  
  
Ugh. Might as well just tell him and get it over with....maybe it'll get him to finally shut up and go to sleep.  
  
"If I tell you.....will you promise to stop asking me stupid questions and let me go to sleep?"  
  
Seifer frowned in the darkness, thinking this over.  
  
"I.....guess so. Yeah, sure, whatever. Just tell me, will ya?"  
  
"I slipped and fell when I was spray painting your bed, and when I got up I did it too quickly and I got dizzy so I sat down on your bed. The paint was still wet and it got all over my pants, so I went to wash it off and you happened to walk in on me when I was searching for something else to wear. That's it. Happy now?"  
  
He remained silent for a while, a little disappointed at Quistis' factual story. He was kind of expecting something a little more exciting as to why she was walking around his room half naked, but if this was all he was going to get out of her....  
  
"Yeah. Sure. All good now."  
  
"Good." Quistis mumbled. Maybe now I can finally get some rest.....  
  
Seifer remained true to his word, and didn't say anything. He just lay there silently, staring up at the shadowy ceiling, restless thoughts racing through his vigilant brain.  
  
Maybe I really am bothering her. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the girl.....after all, she was just doing it to prove something to her friends, incompetent twits as they may be. It's not like I don't know what it feels like, to have people doubt your abilities...... Shit. Am I getting soft? What the hell am I talking about? She deserves anything I dish out to her. I've got every right to make the next four weeks of her life a living hell; she completely trashed my room. Besides, how often do I get chances like this, anyway?  
  
  
  
Seifer flipped over onto his side, one arm dangling listlessly over the side of the couch. He reached over and felt the smooth, cool surface of the glass coffee table. He started to drum his fingers on the table, half on purpose to annoy Quistis, and half out of sheer boredom.  
  
........what the hell is he doing now? I thought he said he'd be quiet......  
  
"Seifer....." she mumbled groggily, her eyes still closed tightly.  
  
Seife responded by drumming harder on the table.  
  
"Seifer." she replied more firmly, starting to become really annoyed with his rapping on her coffee table.  
  
Seifer didn't say anything.  
  
Ugh......he's doing it on purpose again. Dammit. I haven't been stuck in this stupid deal for more than an hour, and he's already driving me crazy. How am I going to last a whole month like this?  
  
Determined to build up a shell of resistance to Seifer's tactics, Quistis turned over in bed to face the wall, covering her ears with pillows to drown out the monotonous, drilling sound of Seifer's fingers tapping against the glass tabletop.  
  
Eventually, the drumming slowed, then finally ebbed away into silence as Seifer's breathing grew slower, deeper. He was finally falling asleep.  
  
The silence was a welcome rapture to Quistis' tired ears, and as she finally began to submerge herself into the blissful realm of slumber, the last thought that ran through her mind was that before the end of the week was out, Seifer was going to drive her completely, absolutely, insane.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Hmmmmm. I rather like the idea of Quistis being Seifer's personal slave, don't you? Just wait until chapter four when Seifer really starts to put his power over her to use.....hehehe oh the ideas I have...... R&R, please!!! Reviews/comments are much appreciated. 


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